[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by M35

Got a replacement copy of Sigma 150-500 a couple of weeks back. I am very happy with the initial test shots = looked sharp with no AF issue.

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 150-600mm.

What is the process for replacement or repair under warranty? Don't they have service centres here? If the lens has to be sent abroad, that's a pain e.g. in terms of time to get it fixed.

[M35]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 150-600mm.

What is the process for replacement or repair under warranty? Don't they have service centres here? If the lens has to be sent abroad, that's a pain e.g. in terms of time to get it fixed.

I sent my first lens twice to Sigma @Shanghai, through the dealer first time and then direct shipment second time, with majority of communications via e-mail. They had asked me to sent my camera body along with the lens for AF calibration, which I think is the right way to go about. Instead, I sent them pictures to illustrate the degree of back focus issue.

I hope you have done enough research on the new Sigma 150-600 “S” which costs twice that of the more or less proven Tamron 150-600, with both of them being f6.3 @ 600mm. There should definitely be a difference since Sigma also has a new 150-600 "C" priced the same as the Tammy.

You probably may have to get your camera body and the lens calibrated [AF] at their service centre in India. A quick search says there is one in Chennai and they seem to sell the lens as well. The link here

Edit: The new Sigma 150-600 has a 1+1 year warranty as per the website above.

Is there any reliable comparo/review between Tammy 150-600 and this new Sigma 150-600 “S” or "C" available online ?

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 150-600mm.

What is the process for replacement or repair under warranty? Don't they have service centres here? If the lens has to be sent abroad, that's a pain e.g. in terms of time to get it fixed.

IIRC Sheetla Camera was authorized service centre for Sigma in India.

The service centre is in Chennai but they have a shop in Bangalore as well ( Opposite to Old Ajanta Theatre , Saint Johns cross road) They used to collect the lens and send it to Chennai for calibration / cleaning /repair etc.

I don't know if this arrangement is still in place or not. Check with them if they are still authorized service centre for Sigma or not.

[tasuray]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 150-600mm.

What is the process for replacement or repair under warranty? Don't they have service centres here? If the lens has to be sent abroad, that's a pain e.g. in terms of time to get it fixed.

AFAIK Tamron has receiving centres in big cities. They arranged to send the lenses to the service centres in Mumbai or Delhi. Before purchasing Tamron 150-600 mm I have asked about the servicing to a gentleman who supposed to be marketing manager of Tamron whom I met in a photowalk sponsored by Tamron.

Regards.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by M35

I sent my first lens twice to Sigma @Shanghai, through the dealer first time and then direct shipment second time, with majority of communications via e-mail. They had asked me to sent my camera body along with the lens for AF calibration, which I think is the right way to go about. Instead, I sent them pictures to illustrate the degree of back focus issue.

I hope you have done enough research on the new Sigma 150-600 “S” which costs twice that of the more or less proven Tamron 150-600, with both of them being f6.3 @ 600mm. There should definitely be a difference since Sigma also has a new 150-600 "C" priced the same as the Tammy.

You probably may have to get your camera body and the lens calibrated [AF] at their service centre in India. A quick search says there is one in Chennai and they seem to sell the lens as well. The link here

Edit: The new Sigma 150-600 has a 1+1 year warranty as per the website above.

Is there any reliable comparo/review between Tammy 150-600 and this new Sigma 150-600 “S” or "C" available online ?

That's a pain - sending the lens to China!

Online comparisons say that the Sigma S is a bit better when wide open (f/6.3 at 600mm), and the AF is more consistent. Better weather sealing too.

But, it costs $1000 extra, and weighs 1kg more. Handholding for long periods will be an issue.

I like handholding. And like shooting wide open. Good AF has very high weightage for me.

So, pros and cons.

I will rent both and then decide. If I can be mobile (walk around, handhold without discomfort) with the Sigma 150-600S, then I would probably go for it. I have a feeling the the Sigma C version will come with some compromises - otherwise who will pay for the S version?

Originally Posted by amitk26

IIRC Sheetla Camera was authorized service centre for Sigma in India.

The service centre is in Chennai but they have a shop in Bangalore as well ( Opposite to Old Ajanta Theatre , Saint Johns cross road) They used to collect the lens and send it to Chennai for calibration / cleaning /repair etc.

I don't know if this arrangement is still in place or not. Check with them if they are still authorized service centre for Sigma or not.

Thanks. I had spoken to Shetala, they had confirmed that they are the pan-Indian distributor for Sigma. Not sure about service. Btw the Sigma is not yet in stock.

Originally Posted by tasuray

AFAIK Tamron has receiving centres in big cities. They arranged to send the lenses to the service centres in Mumbai or Delhi. Before purchasing Tamron 150-600 mm I have asked about the servicing to a gentleman who supposed to be marketing manager of Tamron whom I met in a photowalk sponsored by Tamron.

Regards.

That's a plus. I have had good service experience with Canon and Nikon. Sending a lens to another country for fixing is

So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations.

Both would give me 600mm reach. Option #2 would be better for mobility, and cheaper too.

[M35]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

That's a pain - sending the lens to China!

I don’t think you will need to send the lens to China. I sent my lens to Shanghai as I am based in China currently.

Please confirm with Shetala on the service part.


All the first impressions on the “S” available on the net are very promising. In fact, the “S” is being compared with pro-level primes in terms of IQ and AF-speed.

[ampere]

Finally the 7D-II review comes live on DP Review.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii

Still they give it a silver award and not a gold. I think that may have some thing to do with no sensor improvements.

[tasuray]

@nilanjanray -
"So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations."

You may also think about Nikon D750 + a 150-600 mm as upgradation. D 750 is cheaper and lighter than D810 or D 810E. It has got favourable reviews also.

I am personally using Tamron and satisfied with its results in my level of photography, mainly for birds. So far I read Sigma 'C' has the almost same number of groups and elements as Tamron. Sigma 'S' is better in this respect but it is costlier and heavier of 1kg (approx.) than Tamron.
Regards.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by tasuray

@nilanjanray -
"So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations."

You may also think about Nikon D750 + a 150-600 mm as upgradation. D 750 is cheaper and lighter than D810 or D 810E. It has got favourable reviews also.

I am personally using Tamron and satisfied with its results in my level of photography, mainly for birds. So far I read Sigma 'C' has the almost same number of groups and elements as Tamron. Sigma 'S' is better in this respect but it is costlier and heavier of 1kg (approx.) than Tamron.
Regards.

The D750 will be a better option, as the high ISO is better. For birds a high ISO is an advantage as then you can shoot at a faster shutter speed.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by tasuray

@nilanjanray -
"So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations."

You may also think about Nikon D750 + a 150-600 mm as upgradation. D 750 is cheaper and lighter than D810 or D 810E. It has got favourable reviews also.

I am personally using Tamron and satisfied with its results in my level of photography, mainly for birds. So far I read Sigma 'C' has the almost same number of groups and elements as Tamron. Sigma 'S' is better in this respect but it is costlier and heavier of 1kg (approx.) than Tamron.
Regards.

Originally Posted by Aroy

The D750 will be a better option, as the high ISO is better. For birds a high ISO is an advantage as then you can shoot at a faster shutter speed.

The D810 is better for wildlife than the D750:
1. The extra MPs - I will get 16MP files in DX crop mode, if I need to crop. I will get a 10MP file with D750. Cropping is important for wildlife.
2. The bigger buffer of D810. Also, one can get 7FPS with the battery grip in DX mode. I sometimes use the 1.3X crop mode in D7100 when I need the extra speed or buffer.

High ISO advantage of D750 is marginal, if you scale the photos to same size. IMHO D810 high ISO is good enough - beyond a point, improvements have marginal utility.

Have been thinking through the pros and cons of D810 vs D750 for a while now. For many, the D750 would be a better fit. Just not for me.

I am likely to rent a D810 next week. Will provide feedback after field use.

P.S. an example of a significant crop (~ 20-25% of the original image). This file has been scaled for web, but if I wanted to, I could get a 8x10 print from the original cropped version.

[SR71-Blackbird]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Not sure about East Bangalore but you can try Prabhu Digital if they still exists. They are in Brigade Road.
As of now, I get my prints done at a place in Jayanagar, the owner's name is Manjunath and he does an excellent job of printing.
PS: if you need photo book then I don't know if these guys do that. I'm talking about big sized prints for exhibition/sale/display..

Thanks a lot!
I am looking to do 8x12 sized prints for framing. So this suits me well.
I found out the contact details for Manjunath and called him. He seemed to be a very good person to interact with and I am planning a trip to jayanagar to visit him and get some photos printed!

[speed_edge]

Friends,

Want to buy nikon 35mm prime lens. Please let me know if you find it available at better rate. Currently I see its available online at around 8.5K but in recent past I has seen price as low as 7K. Please let me know if anyone one of you come across good deal on any of online store.

Thanks
SE

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by SR71-Blackbird

Thanks a lot!
I am looking to do 8x12 sized prints for framing. So this suits me well.
I found out the contact details for Manjunath and called him. He seemed to be a very good person to interact with and I am planning a trip to jayanagar to visit him and get some photos printed!

Happy to help Hope you too will have good experience with him, do share your experience if you get your prints done. Last time I've used Epson Ultra Smooth Fine Art paper and I liked the results. Have tried the Enhanced Matte too but I think for Landscapes Ultra Smooth works better.

BTW, anyone in Bangalore can print on Metallic paper? If so, then which paper they use?

Regards,

[asinghal]

I have an old (18 years) old film SLR , Minolta with multiple lenses (35-70, 70-210 mm).
As you can imagine, not been used for a long time. Would there be enthusiast, film students interested in such equipment anymore?

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by asinghal

I have an old (18 years) old film SLR , Minolta with multiple lenses (35-70, 70-210 mm).
Would there be enthusiast, film students interested in such equipment anymore?

Have you already put your post on JJMehta? If not, that is a good place to start with.